There is something powerful about appreciation. But there is something insidious about seeking appreciation. What a fine line it is to encourage the good virtue of gratefulness and acknowledging the gifts of others on one side and the ego serving self centeredness of demanding recognition. I think of this struggle every time I see a…
Fr. Barnabas Powell
I know, I know, I should be more patient, but I confess a deep sense of frustration when I'm trying to explain how to get the wifi to work to someone. It's so simple and yet, they don't get it! Of course, I remind them, it's not that easy explaining it to you when you're…
It was a bit of a surprise to me. In fact, it was such an unexpected revelation about myself that I am still processing this information to this day. I was embarrassed. You see, I have never had a hard time being in front of a lot of people. It was just never much of…
OK, so, the store started putting out decorations for Christmas around Halloween! Subtle signs that the gift buying season was approaching and letting us know we better get to it if we were going to get all that cool stuff to give as presents at Christmas. And, as usual, the stories of many who were…
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"I'm their leader! Which way did they go?" I have a cap with two bills on it, one in the front and one in the back with that slogan on it. It's funny because it's so often true.
Leadership is always such a rewarding and challenging calling. In fact, if you could get most leaders to…
Fr. Barnabas is the December Featured Author at Ancient faith Store! So, go to http://store.ancientfaith.com/meet-the-author and read the interview they have with Fr. Barnabas.
In the story you'll hear what motivates Fr. Barnabas to do the work here at Faith Encouraged Ministries and some exciting plans for the future and new…
I looked out at the congregation and said "If Kmart had a Blue Light special like this, they'd sell out in a minute." Of course you don't know what a "blue light special is. You may not even remember KMart!
Suffice it to say it was a marketing trick that a store use to use…
One of the most difficult realities I've had to face as an adult, as a priest, as a husband, and as a father is the waking up to the reality of the complexity of each human person I encounter, including myself. This continuous process of discovery has me regularly seeing places of spiritual progress and…
We really have succumbed to such a consumerist mindset that the Pavlovian trigger of "sale" actually has us queuing up outside the "box" retailers to wait in the cold to get a slip of paper that gives us permission to purchase a product at a particular price so we will "have" the product. One begins…